What have you been up to since you graduated? I graduated in Spring 2021 with a B.S. in Political Science. Since graduating FSU in April I have moved to Georgia to attend the University of Georgia, working on my Master’s in Political Theory. I have also started as a legal secretary at a local estate…
Category: Politics
Research Spotlight: Examining the Impact of Communicative Processes on Civic Engagement Among College Students During a Crisis
The objective of this ongoing study is to collect preliminary data on how message content and social norms impact college students’ responses to preventive behavior calls to actions (i.e., mask-wearing as an act of civic engagement) in regards to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and how these responses are exacerbated when such messages interact with individual…
Honors Thesis Spotlight: The Legislative Effectiveness Under Gender Quotas: Argentina Before and After Quota Implementation
Women continue to be under-represented in the legislative bodies of their governments. To combat this, some governments implement gender quotas to increase the number of women holding seats in their legislature. Gender quotas help achieve balanced representation by requiring a particular number or percentage of seats to be allocated to a specific group, such as…
Research Spotlight: Going it Alone: The Adverse Effect of Executive Term Limits on Bargaining
Numerous scholars and participants in the political process affirm that highly autonomous executives are a threat to the balance of power and democratic stability more generally. This widely held belief is predicated upon the fact that extensive executive power will lead to a breakdown in the balance of powers between the executive and the legislature….
Honors Thesis Spotlight: Identifying Opportunities Available through Utilization of Unmanned Aerial Delivery Programs in Support of Public Safety in the U.S., Based on Present Use Cases around the World
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) have been seen in the public sphere as early as the 1950’s with Sputnik 1. The Unmanned Aircraft Systems is defined by the federal aviation administration as, “aircraft that is operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from within or on the aircraft”. These systems are increasingly promising in the…
Research Spotlight: The Hidden Electoral Incentive: How Voters Reward Candidates’ Climate Change Positions
Environmental problems in and of themselves are apolitical—a Democrat in New York City requires clean air and water and a stable climate just as a Republican in Mississippi does. In fact, much of the groundbreaking environmental legislation passed in the United States was signed into law by Republican presidents and featured strong bipartisan support. Even…
DeSantis undermining individual freedom, conservative principles | Opinion
This article originally appeared in Tallahassee Democrat. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed policymakers in a tricky position, Gov. DeSantis included. He and others are forced to find a balance between protecting public health and safeguarding individual freedom. One of Gov. DeSantis’ signature initiatives is a ban on agencies and businesses that might want to impose…
Honors Thesis Spotlight: Did Florida Experience the Year of the Woman?
2018 is considered the Year of the Woman after a record-breaking election of 127 women to Congress—the most elected into Congress since its establishment in 1789. In addition to experiencing the Year of the Woman, studies suggest a shift in political affiliation. The nation increasingly supported the Democratic Party in response to President Trump, now…
IOP@FSU Field-Advancing Research: Who Do You Trust? Public Opinion on Handling the Pandemic
On September 8, the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy (COSSPP) hosted the first of a series of webinars featuring research on civic engagement, funded by the Institute of Politics. This webinar features a study by Associate Professor of Political Science Amanda Driscoll and political science Ph.D. student Taylor Chewning, using a nationally representative…
Honors Thesis Spotlight: Civil Wars, Ethnicity, and Intervention: Under What Circumstances Does Ethnicity Affect Intervention in Civil Wars?
Post World War II, the global community is experiencing a decline in cross-national conflicts and a rise in civil conflicts—the latter becoming extremely brutal. In cases like the Rwandan Genocide, conflict led to egregious violations of human rights. Approximately 800,000 Rwandans were slaughtered, most belonging to the ethnic minority in the country, the Tutsis. Due…
